This fine native style decorated strap and powder horn set looks like it came straight out of the 18th century. Based on the surviving work of the “Kahnawake Mohawk”, Amanda Webster has copied an original strap, made of black dyed deer skin and natural linen backing. As on the original, she has edged the strap in black silk, and decorated with naturally dyed quills. The colors were traditionally derived from cochineal, yellow root, wild grape and walnuts, and yielded the rich oranges and blacks for the quills, and the beautiful yellows used to dye the deer hair used to fill the brass cones.
The attached horn was crafted by Steve Lodding, and is a typical 18th century style carved trade horn that traditionally, visually and functionally, is perfectly matched to Amanda’s work. Simply constructed and carved like many of the original trade horns it is based upon, Steve has aged the horn and given it the warm look and feel found on the old ones. The Kahnawake Indians - “Keepers of the Eastern Door” had good relations with early Europeans, and this traditionally native style decorated strap and horn set is an artistic example of those two cultures melding.
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The CLA Live Auction will be on Friday, August 20th at 4:00 PM.
Copy by T.C. Albert with photo by H. David Wright.
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